Sunny Point hosts garden party and benefit tomorrow evening

With summer winding down and the start of fall less than a month away, now is the time to bask in warm evenings, bathe in rays of the setting sun and enjoy summer’s plentiful bounty — finished off with ice cream sandwiches and a cold seasonal brew.

Sunny Point Cafe will host a beer-and-bites party in their potager garden tomorrow evening, Thursday, Aug. 28, from 6-9 p.m. Proceeds from the event support local nonprofit Start From Seed, which describes its mission “empowers and strengthens families during the childbearing year by providing comprehensive doula services and childbirth education, regardless of income level.”

“We just thought it was kind of perfect,” says Brigett Bolding, general manager at Sunny Point, who also volunteers with Start From Seed. “Their name is Start From Seed, and, in the garden, we start everything from seeds,” she continues, laughing.

Food and beverages served at the event are based on a token-system, and (with advance purchase), $20 buys five tokens to redeem any items on the following menu. (Door-price increases to $25).

Bites menu:

Sunburst Trout or Hoppin John Sliders

Spanakopita with fresh garden ingredients

Pork Belly Skewers

Buffalo Fried Chicken or Cauliflower Bites

Ice Cream sandwiches

Beer provided by:

Sierra Nevada

New Belgium Brewing

Oskar Blues

Foothills Brewing

“Start From Seed will have a booth so people can meet lots of different doulas, and we’ll have quite a few folks here from Mission,” she says. “We’ll have four beer tents set up, and we’ll have cider and wine at one booth. Each booth will also have a small bites pairing.”

Bolding says the chefs sourced many of the ingredients in the “bites” from the garden — from fresh tomatoes on the sliders to spinach in the spanakopita.

“It should be pretty tasty,” she continues. “For your five tokens you can get three beers and two plates, or three plates and two beers — or whatever you want. You can kind of make a meal of it.”

And, like a true garden party (Asheville-style), guests will be provided with live acoustic entertainment.

“It’s almost like a mini, impromptu festival,” Bolding says. “The garden is so nice to have in the urban setting, and I think people really love it.”